1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of food sweetener compositions, and relates specifically to the field of food sweetener compositions including aspartame as a component.
2. Description of Background Art
Aspartame is a non-nutritive sweetener that is 160 times sweeter than sucrose in aqueous systems. Because of its sweetness intensity, it is utilized in beverage systems at levels of between 5 mg percent and 200 mg percent by weight as a replacement for sucrose or other nutritive carbohydrates to produce a "low sugars" or "low-calorie" product. Almost three-fourths of all aspartame sales are made to the diet beverage industry.
The diet beverage industry, and more specifically the carbonated diet beverage industry, has preferentially utilized aspartame as the non-nutritive artificial sweetener. One drawback of aspartame is that many people detect a lingering aftertaste, frequently described as "metallic" or "bitter". Those people who detect an aftertaste with aspartame, and who currently do not consume the beverage because of the aftertaste, represent a substantial market. A low calorie product that does not possess the negative aftertastes perceived with aspartame potentially could gain a significant market share.
Chemical substances that diminish or eradicate the lingering aftertaste caused by aspartame, may be considered a food additive and therefore require FDA approval. Thus, compounds that already are considered GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) or are already approved by the FDA as a food additive, are preferable over those substances that must still go through the FDA review process.
Since the introduction of aspartame, many researchers have attempted to reduce the aftertaste using a variety of substances with limited success. One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,827 to Kupper, et al. That patent discloses a process for increasing pulp volume (pulp composed of either homogenized fruit pulp, cellulose, or a cellulose/pectin material) in artificially sweetened beverages containing fruit juices. It was found that the increased pulp volume of reduced size apparently decreases the aftertaste of non-nutritional sweeteners, including aspartame, saccharine and cyclamate. The mechanism by which the aftertaste of these artificial sweeteners was diminished was not discussed other than the importance of increased pulp volume and decreased fruit pulp particle size. The increased pulp volume apparently had the same effect on all different types of artificial sweetener.
These remains a need for a sweetener composition that eradicates the lingering aftertaste associated with aspartame. Particularly, there is a need for GRAS compounds that may be used in food products containing aspartame.